Genotype, Environment, and GXE Interaction Effect on Some Selected Traits of Taro (<i>Colocasia esculenta</i> (L.) Schott)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the nature and the extent of the genotype and environment interactions, to select stable and high yielding taro genotypes for fresh storage corm yield, and related traits to identify the most representative and discriminating environment in southwest Ethiopian regions. The study was tested across four environments (Jimma, Agaro, Gera, and Metu) for two cropping seasons in southwest Ethiopia. Nine selected and promising genotypes and one standard check (Denu) were evaluated by using RCBD that replicated three times. The important data were collected from all tested location and analyzed using different statistical software’s. The analyzed result showed significant differences (p<0.01) for genotype, environment, and genotype by environment interactions (GEI) effects for all the traits evaluated exceptions to the root length. It also revealed that the extent of the mean square of the environment was more than those of the genotype and GEI for all traits targeted and indicated the uniqueness of the test environment. The genotypes 053 and 133 were identified as an ideal genotypes being high yield and wider adaptability hence nominated for release and then for production. The GGE bi-plot also identified Agaro-2 and Gera-2 were the most ideal environment for the evaluated of taro genotypes for their important useable traits. Four mega-environments (MGE) were identified for taro breeding; where environments Agaro-22, Gera-2, and Gera-1 combined into MGE-1, environments Metu-1, and Jimma-1 fell into a separate MGE-2, and environments Jimma-2 and Agaro-1 pooled into MGE-3, and Metu-2 separated into MGE-4, respectively.